Author: Eric Wilkins | Major: Computer Engineering and German | Semester: Summer 2025

Me and some class mates at the Salzbergwerk in Berchtesgaden on a slide inside the mine.

I’ve always had an interest in learning German not only because my grandparents came from Germany after being displaced to Munich as a result of the Second World War, but also because I have relatives that live in Germany. Therefore, a German study abroad program seemed like the perfect opportunity to develop my German language skills and fluency, as well as to connect with my heritage. To provide a brief summary of this summer program, it started off with a couple days in Munich to settle down, before a little less than a week in both Berlin and Dresden each, and finally five weeks in Holzkirchen, Bavaria with German host families, attending German classes. My interest in this program particularly was sparked when I learned about this last aspect, providing total immersion within the German language and culture. However interested I might have been though, I would have never expected the wonderful experiences I had throughout this program. After settling down and recovering from jet lag in Munich, we headed off to Berlin. While in Berlin, we learned a lot about the Berlin Wall, the broader Cold War, the Second World War, and so on. We saw so many landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, the TV Tower, Checkpoint Charlie, and many, many others while on the walking tours throughout the city. All the while getting to know the other students on the trip, none of whom I had met before, and making many new friends. One experience in particular which I found impactful was a tour of a restored World War 2 bomb shelter, which helped me realize a lot about the reality of war that one can’t learn through books. After almost a week in Berlin, we went down to Dresden. Being a much smaller city, Dresden was a lot more peaceful than Berlin, but still very interesting. It was practically completely destroyed during the Second World War, so we learned a lot about those events, while also learning about older history like the famed King August the Strong through visiting historical places such as the Green Vault and the Zwinger. While we were staying there, I also got the opportunity to go on a day trip with a few others to Prague, where we explored the city and Prague Castle. The cathedral was beautiful, and the view from the castle was breathtaking.We also learned about the multiple defenestrations that took place in Prague, including the one that took place through a window at the castle that started the Thirty Years’ War. Once we left Dresden, we went to start living with our host families in Holzkirchen for five weeks. Our time there began with a ceremony welcoming us to the town, with a band playing traditional German songs, like the German national anthem, before meeting our host families. This is where I met my host mother, Erika. I really was lucky to have been paired with her, as she was a lovely and very kind woman. I will forever treasure the memories with her like chatting in German for hours over breakfast and dinner, playing scrabble, going on walks, and even baking cookies and a cake. Once we got to Holzkirchen, we also began attending classes and having to dohomework. This included reading fairy tales, having class discussions, and most impactfully for me, researching and presenting on Bavarian culture. One presentation which I especially enjoyed was one which covered researching and making a traditional Bavarian food. I chose Prinzregententorte, which is a seven-layer chocolate-glazed cake created for the Bavarian Prince- Regent Luitpold, and made it with the help of Erika in a very fun but exhausting experience, and it turned out pretty well, even though it only had five layers. These sorts of interactions with Erika, along with the homework, and complete immersion in Bavarian culture and the German language created a great environment for me to learn new words, improve my grammar, and, overall, become more fluent in German. We also went on many excursions as a class to places such as Tegernsee, Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, and the Eagle’s Nest. At these places we learned about a variety of historical topics, from King Ludwig II the “Fairy-tale King” to Mozart and salt mining, as well as even the Second World War and Hitler. Throughout all of these experiences, I got to see even more beautiful views and architecture. In particular, I thought Neuschwanstein and Linderhof were stunning, and can see the inspiration taken from Wagner’s operas by King Ludwig II, as well as can see why he was called the “Fairy-tale King”. In addition to these class excursions, I also went on a few personal ones with other students on the trip. One I and a couple others took on a whim was boarding a random regional train, and seeing where it took us. This is how I got to the small village of Bayrischzell in the Bavarian alps, where we hiked along the “Männlein-Weg”, or little man trail. This trail had little dwarf statues and figures showing the way, and went across small streams through the forest, with a beautiful view the entire time. The entire experience felt fantastical, and I could really see where the inspiration might’ve come from for those fairy tales and Wagner operas. Another personal adventure I found especially impactful was a trip with a few other students on the last weekend of the program to Bolzano in South Tyrol. We went hiking outside a nearby village called Compatsch, up the Schlern mountain, and though it was exhausting, it was truly breathtaking once we were at the top. I will never forget that payoff as we got to the top of the mountain, past the tree line, and could see miles and miles off into the distance in alldirections. It’s those kinds of experiences along with spending time with Erika and my new friends that I’m going to be missing, and forever wanting to go back there for.